When an article is to be displayed in a protected yet clearly visible fashion it may be placed in a transparent display box. Objects so displayed, be they merchandise, sales samples, works of art, artifacts of historical importance, or other display items, may be approached and inspected at close range while at the same time being protected from dust, air currents, atmospheric conditions, and unwanted handling. Although display boxes may be fabricated of clear glass, transparent plastic, such as acrylic or polycarbonate plastic, is preferred because of its workability and crack resistance. Plastic may be drilled, cut and shaped much more easily than glass and plastic parts may be attached to other plastic parts by means of adhesives or solvent bonding. Plastic display boxes may be constructed entirely of transparent plastic material without any opaque hardware required. What is needed is a latch for such a transparent box that does not introduce a significant visual obstruction into the box. The flexible band latch disclosed in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 07/245,017 is transparent, but requires that a door be closed against a jamb. What is also needed is a latch which can close the cover and base of a box leaving a flush exposed surface.